80 Miles in 80 days ahead of Dambusters 80th Anniversary

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid. In honour of this historic milestone, RAF veteran Graham Copsey from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, has planned a virtual 80 mile run which will finish on the 16-17 May - the date of which the historic raid took place in 1943.

Retired RAF veteran, Graham Copsey, 72, will be kicking off his first mile from the location of former RAF base, RAF Scampton, nearby the local church.

He plans to complete his final stretch at RAF Marham, which happens to be 80 miles from the pre-existing RAF Scampton base. Graham, supported by his 71-year-old wife Chris, has been preparing for the ride with jogs through his local Castle-Acer village.

Graham said: “This year I wanted to do something for the RAF Benevolent Fund.”

As a cadet-entry RAF Engineer Officer, Graham didn’t see himself having to leave the Royal Air Force.

That was until Graham became the victim of an unfortunate motorbike incident during a ride into Cranwell.

The accident resulted in injury to the nerves located at Grahams spinal column, leaving him in need of intensive plastic surgery which involved the removal of a portion of his calf to replace parts of his then missing foot.

Fortunately, the RAF Benevolent Fund, the UK's leading RAF welfare charity, was available to help Graham and Chris following the unexpected accident.

Chris looked back on the experiencing saying: “It was a tough time because we were in the process of renovating our home, the kids were very young, and the nature of Graham’s injuries meant he was having to be moved between different hospitals for specialist care. Our car was in a terrible state at the time, and it was near-impossible to get around and get everything done. The RAF Benevolent Fund stepped in and gave us a brand-new car. It was a life saver – they were incredible throughout.”

Graham continued: “After my motorcycle crash back in 1987 the RAF Benevolent Fund provided some much-needed support to my family whilst I was recovering in hospital. This year sees the 80th Anniversary of the Dambusters’ Raid. It so happens that the distance from RAF Scampton, where 617 Squadron was formed and RAF Marham, where they are now based is just about 80 miles apart. So, my challenge is to run 80 miles in 80 days.”

Taking the '80' theme further, Graham has invited 80 friends, family and indeed, anyone, to support him in the challenge by either running, walking, cycling or swimming for one mile on one day during the period of the challenge.

Graham hopes to raise at least £800 for the RAF Benevolent Fund. Links to Grahams JustGiving page can be found here.